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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: stock · straw · lean · tube · hand · calf · bark · cabinet

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — of the leg
  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