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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · trunk · stock · scale · cabinet · leaves · bear · lash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — in music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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