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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hide — to keep secret

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