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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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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: stock · cap · track · straw · rest · patient · rush · spring

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — goods
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stock — a soup base

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