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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: wound · leaves · stem · trunk · cold · charge · shower · suit

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — to fit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cold — not warm
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — rain
  19. cold — an illness
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cold — the Cold War

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