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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: lean · cue · cell · fine · wake · root · lash · stem

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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