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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — decided
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — goods
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — a company
  24. bore — to drill

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