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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — bread
  4. stock — shares
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stock — goods
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spell — letters
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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