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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · lash · bore · bay · cap · stock · chest · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chest — a box
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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