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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — a gift
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. present — there
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — a series
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rash — hasty

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