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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 124 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — shares

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