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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: stem · jam · roll · coach · stand · field · trunk · snap

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — for sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — a subject
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — a list
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. field — farmland
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. roll — on a roll

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