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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 116 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: file · net · rash · lie · stand · stock · tube · hide

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — for catching
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — to recline
  24. file — a document

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