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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 116 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: cabinet · hide · lash · band · stick · mouse · stock · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a rubber band

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