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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
468
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: snap · rash · rush · leaves · hide · stock · land · kick

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — a country
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stock — shares
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — a series
  18. land — ground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to click

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