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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: calf · stock · file · face · shower · pop · bowl · present

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. file — a document
  4. present — there
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — a soup base

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