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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: hide · spring · stock · wax · stick · rush · present · calf

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — the season
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — shares
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — of water
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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