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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — a series
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — a short time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — shares

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