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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — shares
  16. fork — in a road
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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