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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: stem · pit · lie · hide · trunk · current · lean · toast

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — bread
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — a stem cell

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