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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — on a finger

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