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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.

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 · fan · lash · straw · toast · can · staff · trunk

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fan — to cool the air

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