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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: lash · bore · game · stock · straw · suit · shower · kick

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — rain
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — in cards
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — to fit

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