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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: stock · firm · straw · craft · drill · cap · wave · bark

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — goods
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — boats
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. firm — steady
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — army training
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wave — of the sea

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