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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
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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: racket · sharp · stock · row · deal · spell · hide · lean

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lean — thin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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