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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — a box
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. can — a tin

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