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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spring — of water
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spring — a coil
  21. object — to protest
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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