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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — a division
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — to come from
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a hole

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