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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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Word bank
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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: can · stock · sharp · trunk · clip · hide · calf · lie

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — a video
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — to cut
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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