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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
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: bowl · calf · mouse · leaves · stock · lash · cold · press

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. press — to push
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a football final

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