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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: lie · root · ground · tube · clip · wind · stem · perch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — a container
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tube — the underground
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — a position
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ground — the earth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ground — crushed
  18. clip — to cut
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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