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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 116 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: scale · firm · leaves · shower · stock · safe · trunk · hand

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. shower — rain
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — in cards
  9. shower — to wash
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — goods
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — help
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — size or range

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