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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
468
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: foot · craft · stem · trunk · mate · straw · bound · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — a skill
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — a country
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — a straw man

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