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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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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: jam · mine · bank · stem · cold · plane · stand · trunk

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mine — for digging
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mine — an explosive

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