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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. spell — letters
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — goods
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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