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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.

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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: stem · roll · ruler · arm · wound · trunk · shower · calf

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. roll — a cake
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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