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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — a phone
  24. season — in sport

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