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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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — boats
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — an injury
  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