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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: wave · ruler · bass · firm · calf · straw · last · lash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. firm — steady
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — to lash out

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