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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · firm · lash · straw · bowl · season

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — hurry
  16. firm — steady
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rush — a thrill

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