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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — to drill
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — a cup
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — a contest
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to tire

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