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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — goods
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chest — a box
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — all right

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