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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: present · trunk · charge · march · band · stock · straw · rest

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a ring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a music group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — electricity
  20. march — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. present — there
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — a break

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