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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lean — thin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — goods
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. shower — rain
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a trace

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