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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: trunk · stock · mark · bay · calf · wound · fan · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a ring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wound — an injury

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