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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. tear — to rip
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. shower — to wash

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