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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: stock · lash · cue · straw · shower · mug · capital · craft

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — goods
  8. shower — to wash
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — shares

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