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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: wound · race · tube · stem · squash · safe · trunk · roll

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tube — the underground
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. race — a contest
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — the sport

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