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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. staff — a stick

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