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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: stand · firm · lash · straw · row · bay · sharp · mug

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. row — a line
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — clever
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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