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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. staff — a stick
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pit — a hole
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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