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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 120 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: cabinet · stock · rush · prune · race · trunk · face · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to confront

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