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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 116 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.

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

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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: root · stem · lash · ball · straw · fall · wound · pit

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — the season
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a round shape

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