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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 120 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 · row · lean · dip · stock · bulb · saw · rest

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. row — a line
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — thin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stock — goods
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — of a plant

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