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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kick — in football
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — to move gently

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