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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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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 · rush · mark · firm · hide · content · straw · deal

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — happy
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. firm — a company
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — a trace

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