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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — shares
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — goods
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — hurry

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