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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: rush · cap · wind · fall · bore · wake · stock · hide

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — the season
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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