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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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