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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — shares
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — goods
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — a break
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to confront

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