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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lean — thin
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — child
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — for sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to rest against

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