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

Word bank: wound · stem · stand · trunk · season · ruler · wave · bay

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — of the year
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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