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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: lie · stem · pitcher · wake · suit · trunk · key · row

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. suit — clothes
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — to recline
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. key — the most important part

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