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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: hide · firm · fall · swing · wake · stock · foot · ground

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — shares
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. firm — decided

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