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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 120 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: cell · land · pit · leaves · stem · root · hide · rush

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — to come down
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. land — a country
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — in a race
  13. land — ground
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — a phone

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