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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. kid — child
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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