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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: staff · mug · trunk · craft · stock · bay · wake · temple

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. craft — boats
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mug — to rob
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. staff — employees

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