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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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