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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · root · spell · wake · wound · squash · lean · stem

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — the cause
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — to bend
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — a short time
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — thin

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