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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 116 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: trunk · leaves · wave · fan · stem · capital · club · nail

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — for dancing

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