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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: coach · trunk · temple · leaves · stem · rest · firm · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — newspapers

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