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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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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: chip · patient · cell · stem · fall · squash · root · board

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — a phone
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. board — a flat piece

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