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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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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: tear · present · bore · wind · stock · cabinet · deal · lie

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — goods
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. present — there
  24. deal — to handle

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