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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. clip — for paper
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — goods
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — a thing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. clip — a video
  17. object — to protest
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wave — with your hand

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