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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. land — to come down
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — the season
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. roll — a list
  23. land — a country
  24. fall — to drop

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