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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: saw · kid · race · bore · staff · toast · stock · plane

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stock — shares
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — a contest
  7. kid — child
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — to tease
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — a tool

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