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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · race · bear · bay · hand · stock · season · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. hand — in cards
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. season — of the year

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