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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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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: stem · mark · staff · kid · straw · stock · bore · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  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