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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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