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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: deal · root · stem · rash · can · plane · bulb · mark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a word
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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