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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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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: safe · stock · straw · plane · cold · bay · lash · present

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cold — not warm
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. stock — goods

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