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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · straw · press · stock · rash · calf · rush · vault

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kick — in football
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stock — shares
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — to push

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