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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: mark · trunk · calf · wound · pound · sharp · cabinet · stock

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — clever
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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