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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · stem · squash · row · rest · trunk · roll · cabinet

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. row — to paddle
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — the underground
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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