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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stock — goods
  7. mug — a face
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stock — shares
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — in a prison

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