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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stock — goods
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — a line
  24. bore — to drill

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