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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.

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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: straw · saw · lie · lash · bound · foot · stock · bear

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bound — tied together
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — shares
  24. bound — obliged

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