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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — government
  8. stock — shares
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chest — a box
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cabinet — ministers

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