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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · root · key · land · stem · fine · coach · lean

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — the cause
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — a country
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fine — high quality
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. land — ground
  21. key — in music
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — for a lock
  24. root — of a plant

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