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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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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: foot · bear · march · land · stem · jam · trunk · coach

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — a measure
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — the bottom

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