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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: bore · bear · mine · clip · rash · mouse · wound · stock

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rash — hasty
  4. clip — a video
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stock — goods
  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