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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — letters
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mouse — the animal

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