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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: pop · stock · straw · bank · hide · firm · calf · spring

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — of a river
  17. firm — steady
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — decided

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