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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. file — a line of people
  13. band — a music group
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — wild animals
  21. file — a document
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — music

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