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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 116 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
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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: cue · bass · stem · lie · ground · root · clip · lean

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — low music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — to bend
  14. root — of a word
  15. cue — a hint
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. clip — a video
  24. stem — a stem cell

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