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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: cabinet · drill · straw · stock · swing · lash · snap · pit

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. snap — to click
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stock — goods

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