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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — goods
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — letters
  24. temple — a place of worship

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