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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: patient · staff · mouse · land · trunk · branch · stem · root

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — to come down
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — ground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a word
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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