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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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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: suit · cold · deal · cell · bowl · trunk · stem · bore

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cell — in biology
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cold — an illness

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