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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: lash · firm · mate · stock · hand · bound · row · court

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. court — of a king
  12. stock — goods
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. row — a line
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — help
  24. stock — shares

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