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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 · ruler · cue · pop · deal · trunk · fine · wound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fine — high quality
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pop — soda
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fine — all right

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