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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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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: stock · snap · lean · stem · stand · pound · chair · trunk

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — to bear

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