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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. bound — certain

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