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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: arm · straw · wave · squash · object · can · game · stock

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — shares
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. straw — a straw man

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