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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — shares
  13. race — a contest
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — goods
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — in control

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