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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 · bore · file · stock · club · can · snap · wave

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — shares
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for golf
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. club — a group
  17. snap — to click
  18. file — a document
  19. stock — goods
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. club — for dancing
  24. calf — a young animal

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