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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — a match
  3. file — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. file — a line of people
  13. firm — a company
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bore — to tire
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — shares
  24. file — a document

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