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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 120 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: bear · tube · trunk · coach · root · stem · mate · kid

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — to breed
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stem — to come from
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bear — the 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