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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — goods
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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