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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: chest · ball · stem · stick · rash · trunk · cell · bear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rash — a series
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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