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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: toast · stock · land · trunk · craft · key · wave · kick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. land — ground
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — in football
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. toast — bread
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. craft — boats
  24. stock — goods

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