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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — help
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — a flat piece

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