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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: bay · stem · trunk · toast · temple · lean · lash · season

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — in sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. toast — bread
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lash — to lash out

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