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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · rash · hide · net · cabinet · tube · dip · stock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — after costs
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — a gift
  22. rash — a series
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — in a tire

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