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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: tube · calf · stock · hide · mate · can · foot · chair

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. mate — a partner
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chair — a leader
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  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