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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a tool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — letters
  23. file — a line of people
  24. spell — a short time

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