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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: spell · bulb · leaves · race · jam · stock · hide · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. race — a contest
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spell — magic
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. race — humankind

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