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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stock — shares
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stock — goods
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a word

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