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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. chest — a box
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — shares

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