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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: fan · stem · rush · object · ground · trunk · wound · net

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — for catching
  7. ground — the earth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — a thing
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — a position
  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