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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 116 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: lie · trunk · rest · straw · swing · kick · stock · spell

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. swing — to play on
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. swing — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — goods
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  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