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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tear — to rip
  6. track — a path
  7. season — of the year
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mug — a face
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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