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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. current — electric
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stock — shares
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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