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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 116 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: face · rule · bore · trunk · leaves · bay · cap · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rule — a law
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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