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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · rush · trunk · hide · arm · cold · stock · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stock — goods
  3. season — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a car

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