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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cold — an illness
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to bend

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