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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · trunk · stem · last · dip · stand · wax · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — finally
  19. stem — to come from
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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