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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: toast · kid · bore · fall · stock · mouse · shower · bear

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — rain
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — bread
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kid — child
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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