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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: drill · calf · cabinet · land · fork · stock · squash · hide

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — shares
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. squash — to crush
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — army training
  24. squash — the vegetable

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