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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: cabinet · stock · net · row · ruler · lean · straw · rock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a line
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. net — after costs
  18. lean — thin
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — for catching
  23. stock — shares
  24. lean — to rest against

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