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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: stock · rule · calf · hand · dip · kick · club · lean

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stock — goods
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — a law
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. club — a group
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hand — in cards

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