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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — to drill
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stock — goods
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — obliged

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