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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. toast — bread
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — obliged

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