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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: cell · stick · leaves · stem · field · trunk · suit · track

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cell — a phone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — in cards
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — to fit
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a path
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — a subject
  16. stem — to come from
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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