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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — army training
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cue — for pool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — a signal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — a practice
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a hint
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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