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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.

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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: calf · can · bat · plane · stock · race · kid · wave

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kid — to tease
  5. race — the arms race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — child
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. race — humankind
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — a contest
  22. stock — goods
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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