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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: can · mine · perch · stem · trunk · tear · root · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. root — the cause
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — to protest
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. object — a thing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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