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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: stem · root · plane · track · nail · rule · last · can

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — a law
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a word
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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