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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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