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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bear — to put up with

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