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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stock — goods
  3. row — a line
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a signal
  24. row — to paddle

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