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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: straw · stock · coach · fine · kick · wave · cell · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — shares
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fine — all right
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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