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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: wound · trunk · stem · wave · staff · calf · wake · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. staff — employees

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