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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 · stem · present · bay · net · jam · file

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — the time now
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. net — in sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bay — a part 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