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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: stem · calf · trunk · pitch · drill · rest · temple · fall

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — a practice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — completely
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fall — the season

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