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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.

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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cold — not warm
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. trunk — of a car

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