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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: bat · bank · straw · staff · fork · mark · lash · sharp

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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