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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 120 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 · mouse · wake · face · saw · stock · hide · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stock — goods
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — magic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — a trail
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stock — shares

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