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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — shares
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a football final

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