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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — steady
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — goods
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. present — there
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. present — a gift

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