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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stock — shares
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — army training
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — to come down

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