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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: cell · stock · dip · file · fall · hide · bay · season

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. season — of the year
  4. stock — goods
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — a phone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cell — in biology
  24. dip — to sink

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