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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 120 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: court · suit · temple · stem · chest · mark · trunk · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — of law
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. court — for sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — a trail

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