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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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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: chip · stem · toast · snap · root · staff · fall · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — the season
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. staff — employees

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