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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: stem · trunk · hand · lean · club · lash · wind · bore

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lean — thin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hand — help
  16. club — for golf
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — a group
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wind — to turn a key

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