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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a word
  23. pop — music
  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