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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — to cut
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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