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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · trunk · cabinet · firm · tear · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — from a university
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying

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