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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: stock · wound · season · tear · hide · cue · key · arm

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — of the year
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tear — from crying

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