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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 120 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: stem · stand · chest · game · trunk · rule · bulb · sharp

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — a box
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — a law
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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