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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a partner
  12. degree — an amount
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — goods

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