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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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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: rule · mine · patient · trunk · leaves · wave · rock · stem

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — government
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mine — belonging to me

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