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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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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: kid · lash · lean · stock · trunk · kick · shower · wave

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — goods
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — shares
  11. kid — child
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. shower — rain
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — in football
  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