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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — goods
  24. bore — to tire

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