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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · hide · stock · charge · leaves · bay · cue · fine

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — in control
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — a country
  13. fine — all right
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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