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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 · vault · degree · root · stem · wave · bass · mouse

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. root — of a word
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — the instrument

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