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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: can · stick · bear · safe · hide · stock · swing · rest

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stock — goods
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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