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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: hide · board · bat · last · stock · wake · stand · staff

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — to bear
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — final

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