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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. rock — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — goods
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — a break
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — a soup base
  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