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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mug — a face
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — shares
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stock — goods
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — a soup base

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