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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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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: jam · lash · rash · straw · rule · deal · firm · racket

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — a series
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rule — government
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rule — a law

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