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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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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 · mine · bark · suit · trunk · rush · branch · face

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. face — to point toward
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — in cards

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