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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. drill — army training
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — shares
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. drill — a practice

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