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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.

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: hide · straw · lash · squash · cabinet · board · stock · arm

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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