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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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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: chest · rash · current · stem · dip · temple · tube · trunk

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — a box
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — electric
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — a container
  22. stem — to come from
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. dip — to sink

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