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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: trunk · temple · wave · present · pit · mine · stem · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — to recline
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — of the sea

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