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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: hide · wind · mouse · club · calf · stock · trunk · straw

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. club — for golf
  4. stock — goods
  5. club — a group
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stock — shares
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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