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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: bore · pass · firm · wind · bay · stock · dip · temple

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — decided
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — a company
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — steady
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bore — to tire
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — moving air

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