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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: lean · row · trunk · bore · season · suit · rock · stem

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lean — thin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bore — to tire
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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