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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: fork · band · stock · suit · lash · content · bay · arm

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — in cards

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