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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
468
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: snap · straw · bear · present · mug · spring · board · stock

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — there
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — goods
  16. board — a committee
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — the season
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to click
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  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