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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stock — goods
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — of the year
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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