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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
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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: rock · ground · file · hide · dip · stock · saw · kid

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a line of people
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — a position
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — goods
  24. file — a tool

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