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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — to go on
  12. suit — to fit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — a grade
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — final
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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