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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: kick · rest · hide · cue · trunk · key · stock · bark

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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