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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: track · stem · bulb · wave · tear · trunk · pitcher · sharp

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bulb — for light
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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