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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 120 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: lash · straw · tube · stock · fine · perch · arm · bass

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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