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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: roll · rush · cap · rule · last · calf · stock · wound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rule — a law
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — to go on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. last — finally
  20. rule — government
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — final
  24. roll — a list

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