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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.

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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: can · calf · saw · chest · present · current · stock · mine

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. present — the time now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — goods
  9. current — happening now
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — there
  17. stock — shares
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — electric
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mine — an explosive

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