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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stock — shares
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — a soup base

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