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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a cup
  4. land — ground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — a country
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — help
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — to rob
  24. land — to come down

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