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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: stem · rest · pit · nail · trunk · chair · roll · march

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. roll — a cake
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. roll — a list
  24. nail — on a finger

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