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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.

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: rash · root · bear · tube · lie · present · plane · stem

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. present — there
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. present — the time now
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — a gift
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. root — the cause

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