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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — a trainer

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