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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — shares
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — a cup
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. snap — to click
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. drill — army training
  19. spell — magic
  20. object — to protest
  21. mug — a face
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a dance
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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