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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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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lean — thin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — help
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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