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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a hat
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stock — shares
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. kid — child
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stock — goods
  21. kid — to tease
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cap — of ice

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