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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — tied together
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — in sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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