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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: stock · trunk · safe · root · stem · rest · nail · current

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — the cause
  23. current — electric
  24. root — of a plant

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