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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — there
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — rain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — a gift
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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