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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — shares
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bank — for money
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — goods
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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