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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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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: calf · stock · spell · bank · wound · hand · rest · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. stock — goods
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — help
  16. rest — a break
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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