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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · rule · stem · key · bay · shower · straw · mug

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — to rob
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — goods
  8. key — in music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — rain
  14. mug — a face
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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