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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — a subject
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. field — for sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — farmland
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wax — to grow

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