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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to click
  15. stock — shares
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — a trail
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — electricity

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