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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: cabinet · staff · wake · cell · bore · wound · stock · trunk

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — shares
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — a phone
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stock — goods
  24. wake — before a funeral

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