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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: stick · stock · jam · wound · trunk · chair · wind · drill

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. drill — army training
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — shares
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — the tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — a soup base

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