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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: root · temple · stock · shower · fine · straw · calf · foot

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fine — all right
  6. root — of a plant
  7. shower — rain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stock — goods
  15. root — of a word
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. foot — a measure
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. shower — to wash

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