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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — army training
  24. stock — shares

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