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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: dip · press · hide · saw · stock · arm · mark · hand

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. press — newspapers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stock — shares
  24. dip — to sink

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