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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: roll · snap · content · ground · trunk · safe · land · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — to come down
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ground — the earth
  7. roll — a list
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — a country
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. content — happy
  14. stem — to come from
  15. land — ground
  16. roll — a cake
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. safe — out of danger

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