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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: lash · bear · trunk · stand · stem · toast · fall · kick

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kick — in football
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — with a leg

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