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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · land · bore · trunk · stock · cap · foot · lash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — to drill
  23. land — a country
  24. cap — a hat

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