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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rash — hasty
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rash — a series
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — a strongbox

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