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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: pop · pass · wound · calf · stem · trunk · root · craft

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. craft — boats
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — a young animal

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