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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · season · plane · land · lean · stock · current · cabinet

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — happening now
  3. land — to come down
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. season — in sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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