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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: hide · degree · lie · jam · saw · safe · trunk · stock

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lie — to recline
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. degree — from a university

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