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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: chip · calf · cabinet · trunk · stock · patient · foot · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. foot — the bottom

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