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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — humankind

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