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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — decided
  7. object — a thing
  8. mug — a face
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — steady
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — goods
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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