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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
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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: mouse · stock · lash · march · fan · straw · pound · sharp

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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