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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — money
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — goods
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — a city
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hide — animal skin

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