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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kid — child
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. net — for catching
  13. rash — a series
  14. net — in sport
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — shares
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — a soup base

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