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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: staff · spell · bore · stem · bear · trunk · stick · leaves

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — magic
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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