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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a trace
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — rain
  21. stock — goods
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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