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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 120 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 · wave · fine · trunk · can · net · wind · root

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a car

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