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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — of a river
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stock — shares
  24. bank — for money

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