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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: nail · net · rash · trunk · bark · stock · lean · file

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. file — a line of people
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. file — a tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. file — a document
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bark — to shout
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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