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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. squash — the sport
  6. content — happy
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. foot — a measure
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — the amount
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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