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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — the animal

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