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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.

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: degree · stock · leaves · snap · bear · track · rest · trunk

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. rest — a break
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stock — goods
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — a song
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to click
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — an amount
  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