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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: mug · leaves · craft · stem · rash · wound · wave · trunk

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. craft — a skill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. leaves — to go away

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