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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. root — the cause
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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