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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — help
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — in cards
  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