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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — a measure
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — rain
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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