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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stock — shares
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — certain
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stock — goods
  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