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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — to drop
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stock — shares
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fall — the season
  13. bore — to drill
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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