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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — to tire
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — goods
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — a contest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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