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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: calf · nail · wound · shower · bear · stock · lean · season

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — of the leg

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