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

Word bank: pop · straw · kick · lash · ruler · bowl

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ruler — for measuring

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