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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · field · nail · tube · fork · scale · wave · stem

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — a subject
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — of a plant

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