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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: trunk · row · charge · fall · pound · spring · stem · bear

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spring — a coil
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — the season
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — a stem cell

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