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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stock — goods
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spring — of water

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