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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. file — a document
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — shares
  5. spring — a coil
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mug — a face

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