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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 116 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: leaves · content · root · spring · net · stem · straw · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — the cause
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — the season
  13. root — of a word
  14. net — after costs
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. content — the amount
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. content — happy

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