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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · pit · stock · chest · bore · rush · lean · bulb

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stock — shares
  4. chest — a box
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — there
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — of your body
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — hurry
  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