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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: drill · stock · foot · wind · fork · calf · patient · leaves

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fork — in a road
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wind — moving air

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