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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 120 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: foot · trunk · cabinet · clip · present · calf · can · stock

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. clip — to cut
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. present — there
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — a video

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