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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stock — shares
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — in football
  9. land — to come down
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a grade
  23. press — to push
  24. patient — a sick person

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