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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: trunk · sharp · row · lean · rest · wax · board · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stem — a stem cell

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