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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hand — help
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. object — to protest
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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