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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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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: dip · leaves · ground · pitcher · trunk · safe · cabinet · stem

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — a position
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — a sauce

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