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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: fan · root · cabinet · stem · trunk · racket · file · wave

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a line of people
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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