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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · wind · calf · stock · lean · bore · cap · foot

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cap — a hat
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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