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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 120 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 · firm · lean · root · tube · sharp · pitcher · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — of a word
  11. clip — for paper
  12. root — of a plant
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. clip — a video
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — the cause
  24. lean — thin

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