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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · fan · coach · wound · stem · wave · hide · kick

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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