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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: stock · race · bass · foot · trunk · lie · fall · bat

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — humankind
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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