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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · firm · spring · key · straw · ground · lash · board

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a committee
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ground — crushed
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — the season
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. firm — decided

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