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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — shares
  19. net — after costs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — in football
  24. bear — the animal

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