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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — obliged
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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