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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.

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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: lie · can · mate · cell · scale · root · wound · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. root — the cause
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. root — of a word
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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