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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: bass · hide · plane · kick · mouse · stock · temple · season

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — goods
  16. season — of the year
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kick — in football
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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