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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — a hat
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — employees
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to click
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — goods

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