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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: craft · leaves · rest · hand · foot · stock · bowl · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — a break
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — goods
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a handicraft

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