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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 124 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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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: stem · root · chest · cold · mate · safe · pop · mug

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — of a word
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — a box
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. root — the cause
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — soda
  21. cold — an illness
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cold — not warm
  24. safe — out of danger

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