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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
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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: hand · safe · ruler · leaves · stock · calf · cue · track

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a path
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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