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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: spring · trunk · bark · mate · mouse · fall · arm · stem

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spring — of water
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — of a tree

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