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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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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: key · stock · lash · staff · ruler · cold · arm · bay

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — an illness
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — shares
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. key — in music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stock — goods
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — the most important part

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