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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — of water
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. chest — of your body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chest — a box
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — clothes

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