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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: spell · suit · cold · saw · straw · stock · cap · stick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cold — not warm
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — letters
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — magic
  20. cold — an illness
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — clothes

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