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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — decided
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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