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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 120 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: lash · stick · firm · craft · bear · straw · degree · tube

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — a container
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — steady
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — decided
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. degree — temperature

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