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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — after costs
  4. object — to protest
  5. stock — shares
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — to handle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. snap — to click
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stand — on your feet

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