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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 120 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: patient · bulb · mark · mouse · stem · lean · pass · trunk

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — to come from
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mark — to pay attention

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