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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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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: charge · fall · bay · stem · leaves · bulb · trunk · rest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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