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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. staff — a stick
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hand — in cards
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — of the year

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