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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: net · bat · trunk · pass · press · lash · stock · charge

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — after costs
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. charge — in control
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — for catching
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pass — a permit

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