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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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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: lean · press · fall · stem · stock · root · ground · hand

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — to bend
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — the season
  24. hand — help

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