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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — a tin

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