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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · stock · stem · trunk · hide · rest · wake · ball

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — shares
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. club — a group
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. hide — animal skin

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