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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · stock · tear · calf · staff · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — a law
  16. tear — to rip
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tear — from crying

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