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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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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: shower · degree · dip · hide · stick · trunk · stem · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. shower — to wash
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — rain
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — to come from
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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