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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.

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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: stock · straw · race · vault · cue · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — goods
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cue — a hint
  18. race — a contest

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