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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — a line

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