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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: straw · shower · stock · lash · calf · board · suit · content

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — rain
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — happy
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — to wash
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stock — shares
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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