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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: calf · can · fall · bore · rest · prune · stock · hand

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rest — a break
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — the season
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — goods
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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