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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.

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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — there
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — a gift
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — shares

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