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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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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: bay · prune · racket · straw · rest · snap · bulb · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to click
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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