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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: wind · straw · charge · stock · ground · calf · season · wake

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — a price
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — shares
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — in control
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — electricity

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