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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: rest · tube · chest · fork · lash · stem · bulb · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — a box
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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