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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: sharp · net · mate · stem · drill · trunk · wake · suit

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mate — a partner
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stem — to come from
  17. drill — army training
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. net — after costs
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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