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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: prune · straw · pitcher · stock · saw · board · lie · present

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — there
  3. lie — to recline
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — the time now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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