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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — to put up with

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