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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: trunk · spell · cabinet · pop · rock · key · race · stem

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. race — humankind
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — soda
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — a contest
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — a short time
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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