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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — the season
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — a coil
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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