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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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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: squash · foot · straw · sharp · mate · stock · rush · cabinet

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — the sport
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — goods
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — a partner

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