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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: rock · root · dip · trunk · stem · bay · rash · pit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a hole
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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