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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 116 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: stand · stem · prune · leaves · hand · wind · fan · bear

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — to come from

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