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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: date · season · dip · file · snap · root · lean · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a word
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — to sink
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lean — thin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. file — a tool
  24. snap — to click

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