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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lean — thin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fall — to drop
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — the season
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. shower — rain
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bulb — for light

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