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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — to bend

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