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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: leaves · wound · stock · spring · date · pound · calf · lie

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stock — shares
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — of the leg

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