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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
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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: straw · current · rush · stock · tear · suit · squash · ground

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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