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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — shares
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. track — a song
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — a measure

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