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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 116 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: stock · nail · object · pit · clip · lean · ruler · hide

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — a thing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — thin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stock — shares
  24. pit — a hole

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