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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · stem · trunk · mine · wound · plane · charge · toast

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. toast — bread
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. charge — a price
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. deal — to handle
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stem — to come from
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. trunk — of a tree

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