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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rash — a series
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — in music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tear — from crying
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stock — a soup base

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