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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. object — an aim
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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