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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — shares
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stock — goods
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. key — the most important part
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — to drill

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