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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: mug · spell · stock · pass · cell · can · hide · squash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a face
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spell — letters
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — animal skin

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