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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to tire
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — child
  9. shower — rain
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — shares
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — a weight
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stock — goods
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. suit — to fit

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