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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: bank · mark · jam · stick · lash · present · roll · straw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — the time now
  7. roll — a cake
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a trace
  19. roll — a list
  20. present — there
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. roll — on a roll

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