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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — a series
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — of the year
  15. kick — in football
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. season — to add flavour

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