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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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