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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · saw · fall · season · stem · root · leaves · bear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. season — to add flavour

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