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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — in control
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — final
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — to go on
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — to crush
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — electricity
  20. squash — the sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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