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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: content · stand · pass · lash · straw · club · racket · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — happy
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — a permit
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — for golf
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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