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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: wind · stock · mark · bass · bore · wake · lean · chip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — shares
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stock — goods
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — low music
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chip — for betting

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