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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. season — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — of the year
  22. firm — decided
  23. snap — to click
  24. stand — on your feet

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