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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · patient · plane · face · racket · bass · hide · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — a tool

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