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

Word bank: stem · key · kid · trunk · dip · ground

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. key — in music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — the most important part

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