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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: rule · toast · stock · face · swing · wound · calf · drill

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — bread
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — government
  15. drill — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. drill — army training
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — part of the head

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