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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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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 · race · stand · snap · stock · mark · mate · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — for spectators

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