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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.

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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: stem · trunk · key · tube · degree · arm · toast · rock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — the most important part
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — in music
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. degree — an amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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