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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: arm · roll · file · stock · ball · calf · lie · stem

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. roll — a list
  24. file — a document

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