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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — shares
  17. rash — a series
  18. 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