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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 120 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: wound · stem · leaves · can · ruler · trunk · bay · bank

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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