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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 116 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 · scale · hand · stock · stem · rule · lean · object

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — in cards
  15. scale — in music
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stock — shares
  20. rule — government
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stock — goods

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