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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: hide · straw · rock · mug · stock · ball · mouse · cell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stock — shares
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rock — to move gently

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