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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.

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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: root · stem · pound · snap · saw · mate · spring · wave

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. root — of a word
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spring — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stem — to come from
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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