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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 120 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. clip — a video
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — help
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — side of the head
  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