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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fall · calf · bass · leaves · patient · arm · mate

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — goods
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bass — the fish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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