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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: roll · bowl · pound · lash · cap · straw · rest · stand

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. roll — a list
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — a weight
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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