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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: hide · saw · current · patient · object · calf · mate · stock

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — to protest
  15. mate — a partner
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — electric
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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