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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: rush · hide · fall · can · mouse · stock · spell · cell

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — a phone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — goods
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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