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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · root · lean · season · scale · stem · fan · ruler

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lean — thin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. scale — in music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com