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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 116 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: stem · root · key · craft · kid · fall · rule · mark

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — a law
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — the season
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a word
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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