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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: mate · nail · bank · mine · firm · stock · snap · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — steady
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. calf — a young animal
  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