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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stock — goods
  5. craft — boats
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — soda
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — a series
  21. clip — a video
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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