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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — shares
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — rain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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