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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: trunk · press · bear · land · stem · fan · temple · pitch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. land — a country
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bear — to put up with

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