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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · game · root · last · stand · ruler · stem · lean

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — finally
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. last — to go on
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a match
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to bend

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