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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: pitcher · lash · rash · bay · straw · snap · present · track

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — a path
  10. present — the time now
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — hasty
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. present — there
  24. straw — dry grass

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