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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stock — goods
  5. spring — the season
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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