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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — the animal

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