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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · craft · degree · stem · leaves · trunk · wake · tube

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — a container
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — a line
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. trunk — of a car

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