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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
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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: stem · present · scale · face · rest · tube · track · trunk

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — a path
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — there
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rest — a break
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. scale — in music
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — a container
  23. face — to point toward
  24. scale — for weighing

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