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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. cap — of ice
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a hat
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — of water

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