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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 116 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — goods
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bulb — of a plant

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