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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. object — to protest
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — shares
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — government
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bore — gave birth
  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