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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: last · leaves · face · stick · stem · patient · roll · trunk

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to confront
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — finally
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — part of the head
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. roll — a list
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. last — to go on

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