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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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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. tear — to rip
  24. coach — a trainer

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