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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. last — final
  5. band — a ring
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. last — finally
  15. rash — a series
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a music group
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — to go on

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