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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · straw · stock · temple · hide · arm · fine · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

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