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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 · rest · pass · bear · mine · game · season · stock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — of the year
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mine — belonging to me

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