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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — shares
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cell — a phone
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. season — of the year
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rest — a break

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