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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: file · spring · stock · calf · bore · sharp · last · club

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spring — of water
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. last — final
  24. file — a document

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