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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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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: toast · snap · bowl · straw · stock · season · mark · trunk

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to click
  16. mark — a grade
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stock — goods
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. toast — bread
  24. stock — a soup base

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