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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — in control
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rock — a stone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stem — to come from

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