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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. game — wild animals
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a match
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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