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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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