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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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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: stock · racket · clip · wound · face · firm · vault · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. face — part of the head
  9. firm — steady
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. clip — a video
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — a safe
  17. face — to confront
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — to point toward
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — shares
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — decided

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