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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — to bend
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — farmland
  13. roll — a list
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — thin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. roll — a cake
  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