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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 · fall · can · ruler · lean · present · kick · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — thin
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. present — there
  11. fall — the season
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. present — the time now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — a gift

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