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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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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: trunk · calf · fork · kid · rest · stock · bank · temple

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — child
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kid — to tease
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — a break
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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