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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 120 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: rush · row · straw · deal · mug · snap · stock · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a face
  16. stock — shares
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a quarrel
  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