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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — shares
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — a face
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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