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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: wound · stem · object · trunk · rush · jam · bank · lean

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — thin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. jam — in traffic

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