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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: nail · wake · date · present · fine · calf · stock · lie

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. present — a gift
  24. date — on the calendar

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