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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spring — of water
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. squash — to crush

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