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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: chip · tube · spell · scale · trunk · stem · lean · ruler

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — size or range
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — for betting

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