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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.

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: stock · patient · chest · cap · file · calf · rash · lie

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — a series
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a document
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. patient — a sick person

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