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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: stand · net · roll · stock · lean · mine · calf · rash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. roll — a cake
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. roll — a list
  6. rash — a series
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — after costs
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — for catching
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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