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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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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 · lean · arm · root · mate · track · toast · hide

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — part of the body

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