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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. stock — shares
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — goods
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — high quality

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