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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 120 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: can · leaves · mate · lash · row · straw · bat · foot

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. row — a line
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — lets stay

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