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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kid — child
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — goods
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wake — a trail
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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