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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: patient · face · bowl · trunk · stem · snap · pop · rock

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — a stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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