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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 · toast · trunk · tube · wind · leaves · fork · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. toast — bread
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fan — a supporter

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