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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — finally
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. shower — to wash
  8. last — to go on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mine — for digging
  22. last — final
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — shares

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