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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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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: stock · calf · arm · perch · bay · plane · root · cold

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — a tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a word
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cold — not warm
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stock — goods
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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