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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a document
  13. face — to confront
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — part of the head
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fall — to drop
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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