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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — help
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bulb — of a plant

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