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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: root · stem · can · lash · mouse · mark · last · pitcher

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — the cause
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. can — a tin
  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