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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: rock · rash · can · foot · stem · trunk · dip · patient

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rash — a series
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. patient — a sick person

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