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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — in control
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hand — help

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