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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 124 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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