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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — the season
  24. sharp — with an edge

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