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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 116 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: wound · fine · straw · firm · pound · last · lash · cabinet

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. last — to go on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pound — a weight
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — an eyelash

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