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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: season · fork · hide · mark · stock · straw · bowl · face

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — shares
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — goods
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a trace
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to point toward
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a grade

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