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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 · craft · press · stem · face · temple · wind · court

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. press — newspapers
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. court — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — a publisher
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — to push
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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