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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: land · face · stem · mouse · spring · pitcher · trunk · bank

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. face — to point toward
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — to come down
  24. face — to confront

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