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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · leaves · stem · trunk · cold · charge

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — a price
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. charge — in control
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wound — an injury
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cold — an illness
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cold — not warm
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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