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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — a series
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — help
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — a straw man

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