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

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. land — a country
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — the sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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