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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 120 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mug — a face
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mug — to rob
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — goods
  19. craft — boats
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. deal — a big deal

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