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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — shares
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — employees
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — a stick
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — a match
  24. wave — of the sea

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