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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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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: bear · stem · jam · swing · wound · root · hide · cabinet

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — to come from
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — the cause

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