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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
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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: hand · bear · root · stem · lean · club · mug · bay

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a face
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — to come from
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — a cup

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