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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: bass · stand · trunk · current · leaves · stock · straw · hand

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — help
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stock — shares
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — goods
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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