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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. shower — rain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — an aim
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — to protest
  16. mate — a friend
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — a thing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — to be able to
  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