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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wave — of the sea

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