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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — shares
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — final

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