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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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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: stem · cell · root · kid · mouse · board · object · fall

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — a thing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. object — an aim
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fall — the season
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. board — to get on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — of a word
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — to protest
  24. mouse — 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