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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — child
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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