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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rash — a series
  13. spring — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — of water
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — shares
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — for a computer

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