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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — in football
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stock — goods
  24. bore — to drill

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