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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: land · stock · spell · bore · calf · leaves · nail · pit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bore — to tire
  8. land — a country
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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