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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 · lie · safe · lash · stock · perch · chest · land

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — ground
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — a box
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — to come down
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. stock — a soup base

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