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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rock — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — shares
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — ministers

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