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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: lash · mine · kick · mate · row · straw · bank · firm

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. firm — steady
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. firm — decided
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mate — to breed
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. row — a line
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a friend

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