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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: snap · rest · stock · stem · bound · root · cell · firm

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — the cause
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — goods
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — obliged

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