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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: trunk · coach · lash · foot · temple · court · stock · kick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — in football
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — for sport
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — of a king
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a car

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