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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 116 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: bound · straw · leaves · calf · safe · capital · stock · mark

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mark — a trace
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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