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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 116 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: bark · stem · root · nail · content · can · trunk · spell

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a word
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. content — the amount
  16. bark — to shout
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — happy
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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