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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — for paper
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — goods
  16. land — to come down
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — ground
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — a country

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