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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — to keep track
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — a song
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — goods
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. bore — to tire

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