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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · fan · bass · fall · nail · stock · rest · cue

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stock — shares
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — a break
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fall — to drop

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