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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. straw — dry grass

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