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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: suit · pop · kick · stock · dip · straw · wax · rock

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — goods
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — music
  17. kick — in football
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — a thrill

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