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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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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: trunk · court · stem · wound · temple · straw · bay · foot

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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