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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.

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: press · pitch · temple · stem · plane · branch · trunk · stand

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — a tool

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