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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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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: firm · cell · saw · cabinet · hide · stock · bay · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — a company

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