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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.

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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: vault · wound · stock · charge · calf · saw · straw · rash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. saw — the tool

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