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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.

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: kick · bear · stock · cap · straw · cabinet

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. kick — in football

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