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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: lie · spell · craft · hide · racket · staff · squash · stock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — shares
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — goods
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hide — animal skin

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