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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — shares
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — goods
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a document
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. stock — a soup base

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