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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — the season
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — a line
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — to paddle
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — of a tree

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