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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 116 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: leaves · spring · pitcher · calf · dip · stock · rule · wake

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spring — of water
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — goods
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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