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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bound — obliged
  5. firm — a company
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — certain
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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