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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stock — shares
  11. snap — to click
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wound — an injury
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. current — happening now

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