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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — to push
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mouse — the animal

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