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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — a series
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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