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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: bear · stem · chip · mark · mine · wave · coach · root

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bear — the animal

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