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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · stock · arm · bass · rock · rest · prune

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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