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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — goods
  3. content — happy
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — the amount
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  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