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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: suit · wind · cell · stock · swing · ball · hide · wake

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — a phone
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — to turn a key

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