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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: wave · stem · root · bat · wound · prune · coach · scale

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — the cause
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — in music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bat — for baseball

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