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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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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: bank · stem · stick · lean · root · face · trunk · bat

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — to come from

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