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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — a position
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rock — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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