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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: bowl · mate · lash · march · straw · wound · stand · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stock — goods
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — to breed
  19. march — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. straw — dry grass

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