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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · clip · straw · can · kid · track · plane · arm

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. plane — a tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — child
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. clip — a video
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — to cut

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