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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — to get on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — a cup
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — electric

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