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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: tube · straw · nail · cell · lash · can · object · kick

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — an aim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — a container
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. object — a thing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — to protest

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