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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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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 · nail · ruler · cell · stick · hide · mate · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — in biology
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — letters
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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