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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — a trail

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