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

Word bank: stem · stand · lean · temple · calf · race · trunk · drill

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — to bear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. race — the arms race
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — on your feet

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