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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: saw · hide · wind · straw · stock · temple · date · jam

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — shares
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stock — goods
  20. wind — moving air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — the fruit

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