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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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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: tear · wind · trunk · stem · suit · jam · pound · plane

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tear — from crying

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