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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. field — farmland
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — to protest
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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