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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: mate · trunk · drill · root · deal · stem · can · face

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mate — to breed
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — the tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — to point toward
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — a partner
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — to handle
  24. can — a tin

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