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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: club · leaves · stem · pound · rush · rock · chair · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. club — for golf
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rock — a stone

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