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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a trace

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