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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — army training
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — goods
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stock — shares
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. current — happening now
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — a thrill

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