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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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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 · kid · fall · lash · stock · fork · craft · mug

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — goods
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — the season
  24. craft — boats

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