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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 120 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: fan · root · face · bowl · stem · court · suit · clip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. court — of a king
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — a video
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to confront
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — the cause
  24. clip — for paper

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