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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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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: staff · fall · wave · stem · prune · patient · stand · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — the season
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. staff — employees

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