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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: hide · cell · snap · suit · land · stock · squash · plane

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. cell — a phone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. land — ground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. land — a country
  21. squash — to crush
  22. suit — in cards
  23. land — to come down
  24. cell — in biology

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