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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: deal · cabinet · lean · calf · spring · rest · perch · stock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — to bend
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spring — the season
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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