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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bore — to tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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