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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — goods
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a line of people

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