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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — a phone
  4. clip — to cut
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cell — in biology
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — a video
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — shares
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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