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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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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: chest · rest · nail · stick · trunk · fork · ball · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — a break
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. nail — for a hammer

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