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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: fine · bulb · straw · mark · wind · stock · arm · rush

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — goods
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. arm — a part of something
  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