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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 · mark · fall · stock · rule · coach · saw · wound

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — government
  12. fall — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. saw — the tool

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