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

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — in sport
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. cell — in biology
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — a path
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — a song
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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