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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: saw · trunk · stem · mate · root · object · hide · foot

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — to protest
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — a thing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. object — an aim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. foot — a measure

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