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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: root · stem · pop · wax · mine · pit · spell · lie

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — letters
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — magic
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mine — belonging to me

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