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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: kid · kick · stand · pop · lie · rush · hide · stock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — to visit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — in football

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