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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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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: hand · ground · stock · perch · straw · lash · row · suit

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — a position
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — clothes
  21. perch — the fish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hand — help

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