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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 116 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: rest · lie · ground · bulb · calf · stock · row · club

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — a group
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a line
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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