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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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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 · ruler · craft · stock · present · snap · ground · bear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — there
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ground — a position
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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