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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stock — goods
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fall — to drop
  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