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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 120 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 · rest · fine · snap · hide · arm · stem · pitcher

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to click
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — a break
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — a stem cell

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