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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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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: mouse · safe · club · stick · trunk · sharp · stem · fall

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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