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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 · roll · straw · firm · row · stock · wave · rash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — steady
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. roll — a cake
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — shares
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. roll — a list
  20. row — a line
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — with your hand

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