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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — to tease

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