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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. wind — moving air
  5. toast — bread
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — goods
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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