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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 120 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: stem · hide · calf · stock · drill · fan · spring · chip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — army training
  24. calf — of the leg

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