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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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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: bank · roll · root · stem · snap · pop · lean · trunk

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pop — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to bend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stem — to come from
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a plant
  20. roll — a list
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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