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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: rash · trunk · present · hand · wake · stock · board · craft

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — there
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. rash — a series
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — a trail
  10. hand — help
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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