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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: leaves · dip · root · stem · tear · scale · band · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. band — a music group
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — of water
  7. root — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — happening now
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — the cause
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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