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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — a grade
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — hurry
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. 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