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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: trunk · stem · prune · face · mark · staff · perch · tube

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — to confront
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — the fish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. staff — employees

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