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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: rush · calf · can · lean · sharp · stock · bark · shower

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — thin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stock — shares
  18. shower — to wash
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — a tin

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