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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · cold · bound · safe · bore · kid · root · object

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stock — goods
  4. bore — to drill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — shares
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cold — an illness
  11. object — a thing
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. root — the cause
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — child
  18. object — to protest
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. object — an aim
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. root — of a word

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