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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — goods
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. clip — to cut
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. face — to point toward
  14. row — a line
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. board — a committee
  20. stock — shares
  21. clip — a video
  22. key — in music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. row — a quarrel

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