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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: stock · leaves · bore · charge · deal · clip · calf · shower

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. charge — in control
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stock — shares
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — a price
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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