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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cue — for pool
  6. swing — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cue — a signal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — shares
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to bend
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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