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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — a stick
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to sink

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