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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. firm — steady
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — to get on
  15. firm — decided
  16. board — a committee
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stock — goods

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