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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bound — obliged

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