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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 120 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: trunk · cell · wave · leaves · wake · mark · root · stick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — a phone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of a car

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