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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bank — for money

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