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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the 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