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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 · dip · cap · object · prune · root · shower · land

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — rain
  4. object — a thing
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. land — a country
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — an aim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. land — ground

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