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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — a line
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. 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