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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: fall · hide · kick · stock · mouse · jam · key · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — a series
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fall — to drop
  24. jam — in traffic

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