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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — a position
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. file — a line of people
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mark — a trace
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — crushed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bat — in an idiom

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