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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cold — an illness
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a great time
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — shares
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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