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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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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 · stock · suit · nail · jam · bat · lean · present

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. present — a gift
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. present — there
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — clothes
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — goods
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bat — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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