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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — side of the head

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