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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: stem · trunk · rash · lash · pit · game · branch · tube

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — to come from
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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