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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: arm · net · stock · racket · land · temple · leaves · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — for catching
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. land — ground
  24. racket — for tennis

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