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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: wind · rule · rush · hide · stock · mine · stand · season

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stock — goods
  3. season — in sport
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rule — a law
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hide — to keep secret

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