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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: spell · mine · hide · branch · chair · deal · temple · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stock — goods
  8. chair — a leader
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — for digging
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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