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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — shares
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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