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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. race — a contest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — humankind
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — the arms race
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — to tire

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