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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stock — shares
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stock — goods
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rule — government
  18. shower — rain
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rule — a law

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