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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: suit · straw · stand · kick · band · stock · wax · lash

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a ring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — goods
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stock — shares
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — a thrill

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