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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: stem · cap · net · rest · trunk · rule · wind · rock

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rule — government
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — music

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