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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: rest · wave · calf · stock · land · track · lie · fork

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — to come down
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — to recline
  24. land — a country

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